The plate is hall full

With reference to KumKum Dasgupta’s article The food critique (February 19), it’s a shame that at a time when we are talking of attaining a double digit growth rate, our citizens don’t have enough food to eat. Despite impressive figures from the manufacturing and service sectors, agriculture continues to be the mainstay of the majority of the population. In the absence of newer technologies in this sector, food production is much lower than required with the problem further compounded by an antiquated distribution system. Ways of rescuing this sector are funding agricultural research, promoting agro-science courses in universities and making it an attractive career option for the youth.

Chintan Puri, Faridabad

Saying it like it is

Apropos of the report Speaker raps ‘unruly’ MPs,adjourns House (February 20), Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee deserves praise for making a bold statement. It is a shame that when the nation is passing through a period of financial crisis and dangers of external aggression, our MPs choose to waste national resources and fail to discuss important issues. The Speaker’s condemnation expresses the feelings of the general public but his hope that the electorate will deliver an appropriate verdict during the general election appears to be wishful thinking.

S.K. Wasan, Noida

Facts seem fiction to us

Ashok Malik in his article Our internal insecurity (February 19), rightly says that we often suppress facts to cover up for our own mistakes. The activities of the Indian Mujahideen raise a serious question about the capability of our government in handling the threat. These groups help organisations like the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba, Jaish-e-Mohamed and al-Qaeda coordinate their attacks at the local level and need to be dismantled if further attacks are to be averted. We must bring reforms in at the level of state police forces and intelligence agencies, and ensure proper vigilance to prevent infiltration at the border.

Saumya Brata Panda, Noida

II

Ashok Malik is rightly worried about relying on the information provided by one arrested man and some key operatives of Simi. To prove local links for the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Malik mentions a contact that used to provide fake students identity cards similar to the one used by the terrorists who attacked the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels. I agree with Malik. But I believe terrorist activities by Hindu organisations also need to be addressed. The Taliban was created by America and now it is a threat to the entire world. Should we not worry that Hindu outfits will not attain the same position in India as the Taliban has in Pakistan?

Mohammed Shoaib, via email

We must walk the talk

This has reference to the report Rallies, delays and civic centre (February 19). The processions, rallies and demonstrations in Delhi not only waste man-hours, but cause a lot of inconvenience to the public. If the government cannot do anything, it is time the Supreme Court comes to the rescue of Delhiites and bans these rallies. As a symbolic protest, the demonstrators can be assigned a small area with a limited number of people as participants. The larger rallies can be held outside the city limits.

A.K. Bhargava, via email